Rail support



June 8 1926.

G. W. MULLER RAIL SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct 27 1925 June 81926;

G. W. MULLER 8 Dow 7/ w, m A. 2 1

June 8 1926.

G. W. MULLER RAIL SUPPORT Filed Oct 27 .925 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented June13, 1926,

UNITED stares GEORGE w. momenta WA-S-nme rou, mariner or "cent-imam.

:aAiL SUPPORT.

Application-filed October27, 1925. Serial 1T0. 65,14 8.

,This inventionrelates railway rail supits oo ectsto 1n- The ordinaryrailway rails;are usually united end to, end. by clamping devieesavhichlap over the confronting portions of the, rails at opposite sides andbear beneath the ball iointre'a-duiul against the opposite sides ofheiveb at some LilStiZlKQ jliTUHI the ends of the rails.

The clamp devicesithus constructed bear substantially the entire lengthagainstthe under face of the, ball tend upon the upper tace of the tieflange.

:Experinient and ohservation have, shown that when trains pass .over therails ithe pounding of the Wheels of thevtrain, especiallythe very heavylocomotives now in use, has a 'tendency t0 deflect the confronting endsor the, rails and if the rail endsare se-' cured by; clamp plates oftheaordinaryeconstruction in contact, i their Whole lengths, against:both the. ball and the tie; flanges, -and rigidly connected to the-Websof the rail by a plurality of relatively heavy clamp bOltfS, thisdeflection occurs,;and the outer portions of the clamp plates arecorrespondingly huinped up or elevated, and While this,depression andelevation inay not :be evident to th e' eyezoif an obse1'ver,-1it issufiicient-to cause a veryperceptible unevenness of motion to the train.

The clamp plates as ordinarily constructed are of uniform thickness and,widththroughout, and when depressedorbent down .013- posite the railends, they remain in bent ClOWIliPOSllElOll, especially if thedepression is sufficient; to, destroy the elasticity of the metal;

WVhena train approaches a joint distorted as above described, the firsthump, or elevation in the rail causes a slightmphill movement andthengdoivn hill toward the meeting ends of the rails and then; uphillagain and over the second hump or elevation,. and 'this operation: beingrepeated by'eaeh WlTLGQlAlIl passing aggravates the abnormal condition,

and requires constant care and readjustment,

and the replacing otflthe impaired vplates, wh ch is a source ofrelatively heavy ejX- pense. i

The plates in coininon use are relatively heavy, but the Weight is notproperly "distributed to secure the best results, andj one of theobjects of the present inventionis to so construct the clanip platesasto properly distribute the Inateria'l by increasing the eight andthickness Where the gi eatesft strains occur and Without materiallyinereasing theiveight as awhole. y,

An he bjec th n-venftionj is (to r gidly support. the rails at theflnconfronting ends and resist [the gtendeme (to gglei lection bythepoundingjor hammering of the rolling stock, and to effectually supposethe plates from deflection at the ends, and thus prod ce-an arching Qtruss i e o fig r tion and prevent, the torniationof [humps orelevations abovej'the ends of the plates.

T this d le in entibn f l s'tsinlth ns uct .0 plates-v i h be m a ed lpoint; beneath thqball's of the ra1, ,s at their eeting p int andv o hin J th 'simeia ,poi upfq iv t e-ti gflange aud beai g at the te ninalsupon the tie jfl'arigesbut not in .eonta ctwith the balls ortreads. v Q

f S i cl mp'bo ei ls diPl $i d to supplement the truss like damutag mtstruction. f t e e In the drawingsillustrative geapproved forms of theconstructionand in which like reference, characters are e nployed IEt'or like partssin all the vievvs, I

Fig ra islavsi e e et eni Figure 2 is a plan view with the railportions, in section on the line 22 of urel. I

Figurefl, is a transverse section on thefline 3+3 .ofFigure -1. 7 e y HFigure4=is a transverse section on the line tT4: 0f Figure ,1. l

,Fig'urelti is a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Figure 1. g p

Figurefiis a transverse section on the line 66 of Figure 1. v p

Figure, 7 isadetail in S'BCtiOhHOII th li ir f igu li i -F igur 8 .isaside elevation illustrating a modification inthe construction.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the structure show in llgure ,8.

l I Fi ure. 0 s a ertical. sec -w et t ch mp plat b ween the end of the.r l l t parts Si h W igu ev 8.

Figure 11 is .a vertical section through the terminal portions of theplates and through the rail as the parts are shown in Figure 8.

Figure 12 is aside elevation of the confronting ends of a pair of rails,illustrating the change necessary to'adapt the form of plates shown inFigures 8, 9 and 10 to the rails.

The improved device may be applied to rails of various sizes, but forthe purpose of illustration is shown applied to the confronting ends ofstandardforms of rails including heads or treads 10, webs 11, and tieflanges 12.

The improved plateis formed of a body portion 13 increased in thicknessintermediate the ends as shown at 14 and with a laterallydirected-enlargement 15 arranged to bridge over the confronting ends ofthe rails, as shown.

It will be noted in the sectional Figure 3 that the body or middleportion of the plate comprising the enlargement 15 has its outer surfacesloping downwardly and outwardly from its contact with the balls of therails. It will be observed further that the inner side of the plate asillustrated has a recess formed therein and a portion below the recessis arranged against the webs of the rails. The construction described isfound in practice to greatly strengthen the plate bythe addition of aminimum of metal and weight thereto, and to materially aid the permanentgrip of the plate upon the rails.

Reinforcing ribs 16 are preferably formed on the outer face of the bodyportion 13 and merge at the ends into the body and also into thethickened portion 14 and the enlargement 15.

Near their ends the body portions 13 are formed with lateral projections17 which bear upon the upper faces of the tie flanges 12, as shown moreclearly in Figure 5.

The body portion 13 is reduced in vertical width toward the ends, asshown in Figures 1 and 8.

By this arrangement, it will be noted, the

plates bear by their thickened and reinoblique to the longitudinal axisof the plates,

and thus coact with the medial enlargement to accentuate the truss-likeform of the plate.

Clamp bolts 18 extend through the plates with the enlargement 15 of oneof the plates formed with an upwardly directed extension or lip 20 tobear against the sides of the heads 10 of the rails at each side of theconfronting ends, the lip being on the plate which engages the outerside of the rail only to avoid interfering with wheel flanges.

A clamp bolt 21 extends through the enlargements 1a, the ends of thewebs of the rails being formed with cut out portions to receive thebolt. This central bolt 21 is employed in addition to the other clampbolts.

The clamp bolts 18 near the ends of the plates are disposed at a lowerpoint than the other bolts, with the centre lines of the bolts inalignment with the centre lines of the adjacent bolts and the upper endsof the enlargements 14, to complete the trussing arrangement.

In the modified construction the adjacent portions of the heads of therails are cut away in any suitable manner with the cut out portionsinclined inwardly and upwardly and the adj acentportions of theenlargements 15 correspondingly inclined, as shown in Figures 10 and 12,so that the downward pressure imparted to the rails by the rolling stockwill draw the plates inwardly, and thus materially assist in binding theparts together and preventing them from being forced away from therails. The clamp bolt 21 supplements the binding action of the inclinedportions 22 and materially increases the grip between the parts.

This is an important feature and materially increases the utility andefficiency of the invention.

By the construction shown the main bearing is disposed directly beneaththe rail headsat their meeting points and the plates with theirenlargements meet in pyramidal outline, and bear up under the load andhold up the rail, and being enlarged laterally the greatest resistanceis disposed where most needed.

\Vhat is claimed anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. Thecombination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate formed with itsmiddle portion widest and thickest and arranged to bear against theunder surfaces of the balls of the rails at the joint thereof, the saidplate having widened terminal projecting portions constructed to restupon the tie flanges of the rails, the lower edge of the said platebetween the said terminal portions being spaced above the said flange,and bolts for securing the plate and rails together.

2. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate formed withits middle portion widest and thickest and arranged to bear against theunder surfaces oi the balls of'the'rails at the joint thereoii'the saidplate having widenedterminal projecting portionsconstructed to rest upon the tie flanges of the rails, the lower edge of the said platebetween the said terminal portions beingspace'd above the said flange,and bolts arranged to secure the plate and rails together including abolt passing between the ends otthe rails.

The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate formed with themiddle portion increased in width and thickness and arranged to bearupon the contiguous'ends of the rails, the lower edge of the saidthickest portion being spaced abovethe'tie flanges of the rails, thesaid plate having terminal projecting portions constructed to fit uponthe tie flanges of the rails, and bolts securing the ends of the plateto the rails, and bolts arranged to secure-the middle of the plate totherails including a bolt passing between the ends of the rails, thesaid bolt being located immediately beneath the balls of the rails andacting to clamp the middle portion of the plate thereto.

The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate formed with themiddle portion thickened and arranged at the meeting point of the rails,the said thickened portion of the plate having an upwardly directed lipbearing against the sides of the balls of the meeting rails andterminating below the tops of the rails, the lower edge of the saidthickest portion being spaced above the tie flanges of the rails, thesaid plate having terminal projecting portions arranged to bear upon thetie flanges, and bolts for securing the plates and rails together.

5. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate formed withthe middle portion thickened and arranged at the meeting point of therails, the said thickened portion of the plate extending across themeeting line of the rails and below the halls of therails, the saidthickened portion having an upwardly directed lip hearing against thesides of the balls of the meeting rails and terminating below the topsof the rails, the lower edge of the said thickest portion. being spacedabove the tie flanges of the rails, the said plate being arrangedagainst the webs of the rails, the said plate having terminal projectingportions constructed and arranged to bear upon the flanges of the rails,and bolts for securing theplate and rails together, one of the saidbolts passing through the meeting line of the rails.

6. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate formed withthe middle portion thickened and:'arranged at the meeting ends of therails,the said thickened portion of the plate extending across themeeting line of the rails and belowthe balls oi the rails, the saidthickened portion having an upwardly directed lip bearing against thesides of the balls of the meeting rails and terminating-below the topsof the rails,

the lower edge o f the said thickest portion being spaced above the tieflanges of the rails, the said plate having terminal projecting portionsconstructed and arranged to bear upon the tie flanges of the rails, andbolts arranged in pairs for securing the said rails and plate together,a pair of bOlts be ing located at either end of the plate and one pairof bolts being situated at the middle portion of the plate andthe=members of said pair ofbolts' passing throughthe end portions ofdiflerent rails, and a bolt passing through the meeting line of the endsof the'rails.

7. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate'iorni'edwithits middle pertion widest and thickest and arranged to bear againsttheunder surfaceof the balls of the rails at the joint thereof, the saidplate having widened terminal projecting portions constructed to restupon the tie flanges of the rails, the lower edge of the said platebeing spaced above the said flanges between the said terminal portionsof the plate, the said plate having reinforcing ribs constructed toproject from the outer surface of the plate to strengthen the plate, andbolts for securing the said plate and rails together.

8. The combination with two meeting rails of a clamp plate formed withits middle portion widest and thickest and arranged to bear against theballs of the rails at the joint of the rails, the said plates havingwidened terminal projecting portions constructed to rest upon the tieflanges of the rails, the lower edges of the said plates between thesaid terminal portions being spaced above the said flanges, and boltsfor securing the plate and rails together.

9. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate having amiddle portion in contact with the balls of the rails and slopingexteriorly downwardly and outwardly from the balls of the rails toincrease the strength of the plate.

10. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate having itsmiddle portion in contact with the balls of the rails, the exterior ofthe said middle portion of the plate sloping downwardly and outward lyfrom the balls of the rails, and the inner side of the plate having arecess and a portion below the recess arranged against the webs of therails.

11. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate having itsmiddle rior of the said middle portion ofthe plate.

sloping downwardly and outwardly i'rom the balls of the rails toincrease the strength of the plate.

12. The combination with two meeting rails, of a clamp plate having itsmiddle portion in contact with the balls of the rails and the endportions of the plate bearing upon the tie flanges of the rails, theeXterior of the said middle portion of the plate sloping downwardly andoutwardly from the balls of the rails, and the inner side of the platehaving a recess and a portion below the recess arranged against the websof the rails.

13. Clamp plates each formed with an intermediate portion to bearbeneath the balls of rails and spaced from the flanges of the same andwith terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails, clampbolts operating through the terminal portions of the plates and the websof the rails, and

clamp bolts operating through the plates and the webs of the rails andspaced from the terminal bolts and in alignment with the same and theball engaging portions.

14. Clamp plates each formed with an intermediate portion to bearbeneath the balls of rails and spaced from the flanges of the same andwith terminal portions to bear upon the flanges of the rails and spacedfrom the balls thereof, clamp bolts operating through the terminalportions of the plates and the webs of the rails, and clamp boltsoperating through the plates and the webs of the rails and spaced fromthe terminal bolts and in alignment with the same and the ball engagingportions.

'15. The combination with railway rails having the lower faces of theballs thereof inclined inwardly and upwardly at the ends, of clampplates having their intermediate portions inclined to correspond to theinclined portions of the rails and engaging therein, and a clamp boltextending through the intermediate portions of the plates, saidintermediate portions being spaced from the flanges of the rails whilethe terminals of said plates bear upon the flanges of the rails. a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE W. MULLER.

